Tag Archives: Young Adult Series

Some series steal your heart and just don’t let go. It can begin with that very first book that you devour like literary candy. The one that starts the craving with an introduction to a new world full of characters that you fall for and a story line that keeps you on your toes. The question or uncertainty of the story and its continuation can almost haunt you until you get that release date for the next installation. And then another book, this one taking you deeper and acting as further invitation. And while some series may have many volumes to mesmerize between beginning and end, others may only have that one to bridge the bittersweet distance. The last book eventually acting as the conclusion of your journey.

And so it was with Wendy Delsol’sStork series for me. Stork, an introduction. Frost, an invitation. And last but not least Flock a masterfully worthy conclusion.

When I learned that this trilogy would be wrapping up, I immediately set out to re-read the first two books so I could re-live the entire tale in full glory. And while familial duties and illness delayed me in the last couple of weeks eventually making me have to put off my review date for this blog tour, I stubbornly stuck to my resolve to enjoy all three books back to back. In the effort of saving time I could have simply read the final book and remembered what I could as I read and review on that level (which I rarely do…I almost always re-read a series before reviewing books that belong within a set as I think it’s important to review with the entire series in mind) but somehow I simply could not. I wanted too badly to return to Katla, Jack and the wonders of Norse Falls and all its Icelandic folkish allure. So while I apologize for this review being late…I don’t apologize for stepping into this story one last time before it’s end and savoring every word because I found only in reading the books back to back in such quick succession did I truly appreciate how well-written, consistent and enchanting they are.

Beyond that how stunning are the covers when all displayed together? I genuinely love this type of thought and consistency in a well-developed series. It’s everything from the writing style, the characters, the humor to the very covers themselves..there must be a flow and yet a kind of sameness at the same time. So is this series for you? If you think it could be don’t read the summary of the last book below. Please start at the beginning fresh. I promise you won’t regret it. If you’ve read the first two books then you no doubt will be dying to continue on to learn more about the final volume in the Stork trilogy.

“After surviving her (shall we say) intense adventure in Iceland, Katla is psyched to be back for a blissfully uneventful senior year of homecoming and fashion explorations. But her hopes of dodging unfinished business are dashed by the arrival of two Icelandic exchange students: Marik, an oddly alluring merman-in-disguise, and Jinky, a tough gypsy girl. It seems Katla not only enraged the Snow Queen by rescuing her boyfriend, Jack, she also was tricked into promising her frail baby sister to the water queen — and Marik has come to collect. What’s worse, Katla doesn’t dare confide in anyone lest she endanger them, so even her soul mate, Jack, is growing suspicious. And now Katla’s stork dreams, her guide for matching babies with mothers, have become strange and menacing as well. Hold on for a thrilling finale as the heroine of Stork and Frost calls on her wits (and her wit) to protect those she loves and face a final mythic disaster.”

Interested? Of course you are. You can also check out my feature of Stork in 2010 and my “Book Birthday” review of Frost from 2011. And please make sure to check out the other stops on this tour at The Mod Podge Bookshelf where you can enter a giveaway and possibly win the entire trilogy! Also make sure to enter the giveaway at I’m Am a Reader, Not a Writer where you could win your very own copy of Flock. But hurry both giveaways end after October 14, 2012. And last but certainly not least remember to visit the talented author Wendy Delsol. You can also follow her on Twitter and like her on Facebook. Either way…you’ll find her as truly delightful as her books. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

“Mothership is the first installment in a new trilogy from Martin Leicht & Isla Neal that has been described as Juno meets Pretty In Pink…but in space.”

Pregnant. In space. Yeah, things are really looking up.

It’s 2074 and Elvie’s unplanned pregnancy (with Cole Archer, who bolted out of town half a millisecond after hearing the news, not that Elvie’s bitter about it or anything) forces her to leave her best bud back on Earth and spend her junior year aboard a corny old space cruiser with forty-five other hormonal teen girls (one of whom just happens to be her arch-nemesis). Getting shipped off to the Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers was not how Elvie imagined spending her junior year, but she can go with the flow. That is, until a team of hot commandos hijacks the ship—and one of them turns out to be Cole.

Quirky, humorous and quite frankly- out of this world would be the perfect description of Mothership. It’s the kind of read where you simply never know what will happen next. You couldn’t guess or imagine the plot line even if you tried and there’s a lot to be said for that. And when the action begins…it’s out of this world literally….the fast paced story is set in actual space after all. Elvie herself presents as an interesting leading heroine in the character of an everyday futuristic teen girl with a pretty logical outlook on life, she’s always the ever resourceful back-up and much more mature than most of the teenagers around her. And her out of this world crush and Baby Daddy: Cole Archer, well he is the ultimate heartthrob. And well written example of that one boy in high school that just sent your hurt a flutter. Only he carries an immense secret that will have major implications on both Elvie and the life of her unborn child. This leads to an interesting quest for truth and a fantastic ride and fight for survival.

America Singer is in love. It’s that deep, hopelessly romantic kind of love that invades every fiber of your being every moment of every day that you live and draw breath. It’s all she can think about. At this point in her life America may only be a teenager but she truly believes she has found the man of her dreams right in her own backyard.

After all who wouldn’t love Aspen Leger with his dark looks and giving heart. He’d do anything to make America happy. But then again he has to do many things to make many people happy because of his caste. You see Aspen is a six, destined to live his life working hard and earning little. Hunger is a constant for him and always likely will be for those he loves except for America that is.

America is a five and so she lives easier, eats a bit better and has somewhat of a choice in her career in entertainment. These luxuries will remain unless she chooses to marry someone below her caste level. But despite these obstacles America is about to face she is convinced she will be Aspen’s wife someday. That is until the selection letter arrives on the doorstep of every eligible young girl in the kingdom.

The selection changes everything. Thirty-five girls will be chosen to vie for the attention of Prince Maxon but only one can be his wife, only one will be true royalty. Girls are chosen from all the castes; the highest ones to lowliest eights but only thirty-five will go on to live in the palace and compete against one another to possibly become a Princess of Illea.

America would give anything not to be one of those chosen girls. However with the prestige of the selection will come food and money for her family and both Aspen and her loved ones insist she must enter her name or they could never forgive themselves for her missing the opportunity of a lifetime. It would change the life of her and her family forever, by just being selected in the first group of girls America would become a three. A whole new world would open up before her.

As the names are announced it becomes clear that America Singer will miss out on nothing. She is a chosen one, shipped off to the palace to compete for the heart of a Prince while her own heart lies broken into pieces in a tiny tree house in her own backyard.

As the days go by in this “The Bachelor” meets Hunger Games dystopian romance, America does her best to stay as close to the Prince as possible in order to help her family to survive but she also strives to keep her mending heart locked up tight from his princely charms. Even as rebel forces attack the palace, Prince Maxon seems to have his sight set on America as much more than the confidante she has tried to be. Could she love him? Is it possible that her true love was not Aspen but a man belonging to a world she could once only dream of?

As the citizens of Illea watch a romance begin everyone can’t help but wonder just who is falling in love? And for American and Maxon what could be the consequences if an old flame appears?

In a perfectly timed novel that will feed the desire for dystopian love and cutthroat societies, The Selection is sure to be a hit as each novel in the trilogy unfolds for eager readers of all ages. Smart, creative and dazzling it will delight and captivate a new generation of teens who are now finding more and more of their chosen entertainment surprisingly in a book. However don’t count out this series for the small or big screen anytime in the near future. It simply sparkles with possibility.

Just like it’s cover which is a show stopper as far as shelf appeal is concerned. Don’t you agree?

Sixteen-year-old Emma Townsend feels as if she doesn’t quite fit in anywhere within her own life. A scholarship student at the exclusive Lockwood Prep, Emma is used to feeling out of place among the other wealthy and somewhat materialistic students. In fact she mostly seems to only find solace within the pages of a book. Without many friends she has become accustomed to being alone in many ways but it still hurts at times especially when she feels surrounded by individuals who just don’t understand her. Even at home she maintains a somewhat strained relationship with her father and stepmother as she still grieves for the loss of her mother at a very young age.

On the love front Emma remains solitary as well since her main romantic relationships consist of unquenchable crushes on both her much older English teacher and a once inseparable childhood friend. In the case of her childhood companion, Gray Newman was the little boy with which she spent countless hours of play but now he is an undeniably handsome teen who happens to be insanely popular. Both these characteristics seem to now make Gray exist completely in another world from a quiet bookish wallflower like Emma. In fact it seems both her loves are achingly unreachable much like the famous character of Mr. Rochester within her mother’s favorite book Jane Eyre.

Since escape into books has at times become Emma’s only relief she finds comfort in reading a novel so close to her mother’s heart. However nothing could ever prepare her for what happens after a freak accident when she actually becomes part of the story. While innocently reading Jane Eyre the classic tale becomes all too real when Emma finds herself lost within the story as the main character of Jane. Is Emma Jane or is Jane Emma? It’s almost too confusing to decipher as many of the actual people and events in Emma’s real life become one with what was once simply a book.

As contemporary young adult fiction and a literary masterpiece combine A Breath of Eyrebecomes a work full of connections and twists and turns that will keep readers glued to its pages. Emma’s life at Lockwood Prep and her beloved Jane Eyre intercept to create a dream-like and yet remarkably real world in which to get completely lost. Amazingly within this weaving together of Charlotte Bronte’s beloved tome and the life of a modern day teenager, Mont has managed to also create characters that transcend to take on dual roles within both settings creating a well-blended piece of fiction that is exceptionally unique within the arena of young adult literature.

A Breath of Eyretruly stands out as a seamless combination of Emma’s every day life and the fantasy world that is fiction from another time. In short A Breath of Eyretruly becomes a breath of fresh air for readers looking for that special touch that makes a book stand out among the pack.

We all know what it means to be new in some capacity. We were all new to this world that surrounds us at one time, learning what we needed to know as we grew and aged. We got by while making our way being taught by those around us who had once not so long ago been in our shoes. We had guidance and knowledge passed to us and hopefully love and encouragement to light our path as well. For Ana none of that has come to pass for she is truly new in a world that is not only old but populated by those who have lived for thousands of years; centuries that each and every person within the Range and the city of Heart can remember except for Ana.

In this new world created by author Jodi Meadows each individual has lived multiple lives- thousands of years of memories and reincarnation filled with experiences, learning and relationships that with each birth rebound and build upon one another again and again. As a child is born into the world, it is expected to be a certain individual and immediately known to and by all. Sometimes a person is born of a different gender or into a new family but some things seem to never change like the fact that they often may have similar interests and talents and that they always come back within a certain time period. That is until Ana comes along and replaces on old soul with what some call her “Newsoul” and others reject as “Nosoul” at all.

It all begins when a teenage girl discarded in many ways by her own mother Li and abandoned at birth by her father Menehem, sets out on her own to discover who and what she is and where she came from amid a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with her. Along the way a handsome “young” man called Sam who just happens to be sympathetic to the plight of a nosoul saves her from death and promises to help her along her quest. What follows is not only a satisfying love story but also a quest of adventurous feats and an unraveling mystery as to what will happen not only to Ana but to this entire world that her birth has shaken to it’s very core.

Within this unique debut novel Incarnatewe are introduced to a story unlike any other built upon the idea of reincarnation, fantastical creatures and a genuinely endearing love story. In its pages we also encounter themes of prejudice, discrimination and religion that lie just beneath the surface of a well written if sometimes slow novel of inventive proportions.

Among a cast of well thought out characters Ana shines as a protagonist giving the novel a somewhat responsible and mature feeling while navigating a world that is truly “new”. Meanwhile her relationship with Sam is perfectly paced and real enough to keep readers interested and captivated about whether or not circumstances and feelings will allow for them to finally be together in the end. Creative and inviting, Incarnateoffers a little something new in the young adult genre filled with paranormal and fantasy titles that while strong in their own right still offer none quite like this. One can’t help but wonder where the story will go as this planned series continues. And what a great cover to boot!

“Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena’s Claiming. Even Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals is affected – and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What – or who – will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He’s being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn’t by Lena – and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself – forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn’t know why, and most days he’s too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn’t just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there’s no going back. And this time there won’t be a happy ending.”

Big Book Giveaway

Thanks to the fantastic folks at Big Honcho Media two lucky readers of Stiletto Storytime will win their very own copies of Beautiful Chaosto enjoy. Giveaway ends midnight EST November 11, 2011. US and Canada addresses only please. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply comment below and tell us your favorite ongoing series and why you love it!

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

In the first three well-loved installments of the Iron Fey series, readers were taken on epic journeys of adventure, imagination and romance as the half mortal/half fey Meghan Chase fought to discover her destiny in the land of the Never-never. Throughout her trials always at her side were her mischievous best friend Robin “Puck” Goodfellow and the sometimes cold Prince Ash of the rival Winter Court. Conversely Ash once a sworn enemy was eventually revealed to be the true love of Meghan’s now supernatural life.

However as events unfolded Meghan soon realized that in order to save the world of the fey and all those whom she had come to love, a sacrifice must be made. And so Meghan Chase became the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm that would prove deadly to all fey who tried to co-exist there. And so she was forced in an act of supreme unselfish devotion to banish her lover out of the realm so that he could live on away from the iron that would eat away at his very being. But true to the stubbornness of the Winter Fey, Ash vowed as her knight to return to her and be by her side for eternity.

Thus begins the extremely exciting tale of The Iron Knightand in turn a quest straight out of ancient mythology. Prince Ash now yearns not for immortality or the thrill of the quest but for the chance to be human and remain with Meghan forever in the Iron Kingdom. In order to do so he must journey far beyond the Never-never to places unseen by most and feared by all. By his side a most unlikely assemblage will push him forward into a trial not only of his strength and intelligence but also of his past, present and future.

Members of Team Ash will rejoice in this latest book in the series as it chronicles the Winter Prince’s journey into the unknown to prove his love knows no bounds. As a surprising array of companions return to accompany him and the ultimate temptation abounds, the story of Prince Ash and his past come to life in a whole new way for devoted fans of the beloved series.

Deeply insightful, daring and filled with unanticipated background information, The Iron Knight could provide what may possibly be the perfect ending to a spectacular series or the beginning of a whole new chapter in the world of the fey.

Book Giveaway

One lucky reader of Stiletto Storytime will win their very own copy of The Iron Knightby the fabulous Julie Kagawa. Giveaway ends midnight EST November 8, 2011. US and Canada addresses only please. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter just comment below about your favorite part of “The Iron Fey” series. For instance are you Team Ash or Team Puck? If you’re new to the series just let me know what has caught your eye and why you want to read it!

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following: